Today is the 23rd. Ne, day of Water, an advantageous day for this Operation.
Alissa wakes me up, and since we don't have enough time for everyone to get their wake-up snack, she shares it equally with Hana, Aoi, and Osaria.
It's still dark as we eat breakfast, so our view is of the white sea of mist surrounding our castle with dark clouds covering the sky. A bit gloomy for my taste, but the last hours before sunrise are known to almost always bring rain, so this isn't uncommon.
We aren't in a very talkative mood, but at least there's still a bit of levity to our demeanor as we slowly clear the sleepiness away, allowing us to focus on the now.
We're quite comfortable with what's to come, but Osaria seems a bit worried, making me wish that I could use [Bind] on her to soothe her mind.
I use one of my human hands to play with Alissa's fluffy ears as she lazily wags her tail, and I also use our connection to feel what she's feeling from it. It's so good that I get a bit impressed with myself.
Damn, I'm good at [Massage].
There's something about her animal parts that enhances my caresses so much that none of the other wives feel nearly as good as Alissa does when I play with her.
There's something about my horns, too, that make them sensitive to pressure-based massages. I guess our animal/dragon parts are specifically suited to being touched.
Klein also seems a bit tense, so I extend a tail-like tentacle under the table and wrap it around her long brown appendage. She doesn't even jump in surprise and simply smiles shyly.
Since the caressing has now begun, I create multiple tail-like tentacles and caress everyone under the table, Gify included.
"Stay safe, my love," Osaria anxiously gives me her blessing, then gently kisses my lips.
"I will," I reassure her and caress her dark cheek with my claws.
She nods slowly and breathes deeply to calm herself, then she goes to Klein and gives her a kiss.
Osaria really is stealing Klein from me.
Then I give a kiss to Poosh, too. She isn't anxious like my dark-skinned milf since she has some sort of blind faith in us, so she mirrors our demeanor and steels her nerves, showing how much she cares by giving me a quick hug that smothers me in her breasts and fluffy fur.
"I'll be waiting for your return, your Highness," she whispers, and I just nod back.
Mimi, the twins, and the Grosshils also give us their blessing. Hana's sister gives her a tight hug, then she gives me a gentle nod. "Strike true, Lord Wolf," she whispers warmly.
"You really are Hana's sister," I remark with a smirk.
"What…?" She mumbles as she blinks blankly.
I chuckle softly. "You basically said 'hit them hard.'"
"She's got dragonkin blood in her. Of course, she'd say something like that," Hana affirms while nodding.
Mimi's jaw starts to move wordlessly as she struggles to contain her emotions for a brief moment, then she recomposes herself, putting her stern expression back on, but there's still a bit of heat in her tone as she replies, "I said strike 'true,' not 'hard,' as it implies the careful and precise application of violence, not brute force."
Hana grins as she returns the perfect riposte to that, "Osaria wished for him to remain safe and Poosh affirmed that she believes he'll come back in one piece while you simply told him to be violent."
And Mimi glares at her sister annoyedly. "I certainly can't give him the same blessing as two women who have a very intimate relationship with him, now can I?"
"You certainly can." And Hana raises her eyebrows suggestively.
The tall beauty presses her lips against each other in growing frustration and intensifies her glare. "Why are you-… no, never mind, I don't want to hear the answer." She sheathes her anger and shakes her head in disbelief.
Then we finally leave the castle through a [Gate].
Our army gathers in the wilderness of the High Forest, in an area so far from civilization that there are barely any glowing plants around, so the camp is illuminated by faint purple lights to match the environment's and not stand out like a lighthouse in the darkness.
Once we're inside the command tent, though, the lighting is back to normal, so we don't have to strain our eyes to walk around.
The occupants of the tent stand up and bow, except for Teresina, who simply nods, then everyone takes their seats, and since we're the last to arrive, the meeting starts immediately.
Sandoro clears his throat and gives us all a summary, "We're all gathered here to carry out Operation Extinguisher, the goal of which is to wipe out the Wicked circle of magi known as Dawn of Fire. It's known that the number of Wicked among their men exceeds twenty percent, so a purge of their numbers is beyond overdue. The fact that they even attacked Este company's trading caravan, which is owned by Lord Yulania's cousin and aunt, and was also protected by the Royal Ryder Lords, at the time operating as a fellowship under the name of Helios, is evidence that their leadership is thoroughly corrupt and unworthy to yield the power that they hold. Therefore, their sentence is complete annihilation."
Then we all turn our gazes towards Teresina and the three Templar captains of the Punishers that she brought with her.
"We've reviewed the evidence, and we agree with your judgment," she coolly replies, a sadistic smile gracing her elegant lips.
"Excellent," Sandoro softly replies and mirrors her expression.
Then we divide up our men for each objective.
The harem will attack Dawn of Fire's main base, and we'll be supported by Sandoro and Silvano, each of them leading a part of the Companions, with Azador and a few other knights acting as squad leaders. The second base will be attacked by Alcander and Almaria leading the normal Lordsguard, with Palo and a few knights acting as squad leaders, bringing Sai as a backup leader for the group since her officer training isn't complete yet.
Sandoro stalked the convoys leaving the first base and discovered a third base in Glorampina, but we don't have full authority to attack it since it isn't in our territory, so we'll send Enomosa, Klein, and Anton to lock the place down until we can go there personally and end things.
Our military ships will act as ranged support for the attack on the bases inside the High Forest, just in case we can't crack their Shells, while our personal cargo ship will act as a defensive position for the group going to Glorampina. The Celestial Horns number thirty, so they'll be split across three equal groups and will support the attack from above.
Each of the three Templar Captains will go to one of the three bases. They're specialized in dealing with circles of magi or mercenary companies, so they have the power to get through any sort of defense that Dawn of Fire might put up. This circle of magi are just Wicked, not heretics, so they shouldn't have any mysterious powers like that one dude in the Misty Low Forest that turned half a building into dust in a mere second.
Before we split up, Alissa and I approach Klein to check on how she's doing.
"You alright?" I kindly ask her, and we each grab one of the monkey girl's hands. They feel a bit cold, and I sense a slight shaking running through them, possibly due to the tension and rising adrenaline in her blood, but Klein simply nods with confidence.
"Think you're ready for this?" Alissa adds softly as she squeezes Klein's hand reassuringly.
The cute monkey smiles gently and sways her body from side to side, mimicking the movement of her tail, which is currently hidden within her Camalo armor. "I'm confident that I can handle this. I've killed plenty of bandits and monsters, and even witnessed Rande negotiate with raiders, though I've never taken part in an attack on a base like this," she calmly confesses.
Alissa and I kiss her hands lovingly and release her with a nod. She isn't frail enough to need my continued encouragement, so we let her be since I think that coddling would just make her angry.
Then I rejoin my harem and notice that Hana is socializing quite cheerfully with Caterina, the Templar Captain, a woman who looks to be in her forties and also carries a striking resemblance to Teresina.
Caterina nods, her long ears bobbing softly with the motion, and calmly explains, "Mother has been quite excited about this Operation. Don't let her demeanor fool you, she's quite the enthusiastic woman, but she has a reputation to maintain."
You mean, "enthusiastic" about purging the Wicked, right?
"Don't we all? But at least I chose a reputation that aligns with my personality," Hana replies with a shrug.
"Oh, my, do you have any more secrets about your mother that you could share with us?" I ask with a sly grin.
The Captain turns her beautiful, stony face towards me and dryly replies, "She told me to be careful around you."
I almost choke on my spit from shock. "I don't think I'm someone who should be feared," I stiffly reply.
She narrows her eyes and graces her gorgeous face with the characteristic elven smugness. "For a non-elf, your seductive power is too strong to be ignored by the average commoner."
"I never involve myself with those who might regret receiving what I can give them," I state matter-of-factly.
And she gently nods. "That's why you're dangerous. Not everyone knows the difference between what they want and what's right for them."
I shrug. "Such is life."
"And to err is in our nature," Ciel kindly takes my side.
Caterina smiles subtly, and I sense a bit of slyness to her tone as she replies, "Sure, but I'm not someone who enjoys men that much, so you're dangerous to me."
And I suddenly become suspicious. "Why would Teresina warn you about that?"
"She's my mother."
"Oh~…" I hum in understanding, and we both smirk at each other, but it's Hana who seems the most satisfied with this conversation.
"The men are ready," a Lordsguard reports, instantly ceasing our growing levity.
We share a look and nod, then we all start pouring into the [Gate]s in front of us.
I fly through the dark and purple forest with my armor's enchantment and just a single [Spirit Light] illuminating the way forward. The light rain that drips down through the crowns of the High Trees is immediately redirected away by my [Wind Armor], so I'm completely dry and warm as I rush through the endless darkness.
I have five points in [Sense Presence], and I end up detecting a sentry as they briefly enter my inner detection range, which is close enough to bypass their [Hide Presence]. This means that unless they're being very lax with scouting, I've already flown past a few other sentries that have likely sent word of my approach to the base.
When I reach the marked High Tree, I don't notice any obvious details that would confirm that this is their base, but by using triangulation through the fellowship bond, I know for certain that this is the exact spot that was mentioned in Cereleia's "radar." The only thing that stands out is that this tree is perfectly solid and significantly wider than the average High Tree.
We know that this is one of their fortresses thanks to a spy that we interrogated and killed after their attack on Rande's caravan; we know what they have prepared for us inside from the information that Vanea extracted from Darean; and we know their current numbers because we've been observing the flow of people through Cereleia's radar. There's nothing we need to be afraid of.
I stop right in front of the ginormous tree, still floating in place, and look up, then I make a stern expression and announce my arrival, "Dawn of Fire, I'm Royal Crown Lord Wolf Ryder, and I demand an audience with your leaders. If you don't open this tree, I'll make an entrance in it myself!"
Almost immediately, the tree starts to shift, and the knots from the pattern on its bark start to unravel.
The uncountable branches that make a High Tree line up, protruding outwards from it, and form into a rather wide, circular tunnel for me. On the other side, I can see a well-illuminated room made of grainy wood with a white grass-carpet leading towards a butler-like golden elf that is waiting for me in front of a pair of large double doors.
I step in, my pristine boots leaving no marks on the carpet, and approach the butler.
"Royal Lord Ryder, I'm Sebastion, and I shall guide you to the High Circle," the man softly states, then bows at a right angle.
"Lead on," I coolly reply, and the double doors open in absolute silence.
We cross through the double doors, and I'm immediately assaulted by the characteristic feeling of having my [Gate] blocked, which would normally make me quite worried, but this time, it means that they're all locked in here with me.
We enter a hall of statues, because of course the elves would have statues, and they're all decorated with red gems and illusory enchantments that create scintillating flames, sparkly mini-stars, or other fire-related effects. Not even we or the Elder Council are this ostentatious, so we can add "pride" to the list of sins the Dawn of Fire has committed.
In the center of the hall, there's a vine-frame elevator with a glass floor. As we enter it, I put on a little act of theatrics to make myself look suspicious.
I shuffle awkwardly, as if I were giving way for someone to board, then I stand quite close to the butler, close enough to smell his flowery perfume, and use my body to keep him in the corner of the lift.
He glances worriedly at me twice but doesn't comment on it, and I notice that he's now become a bit stiffer than before.
He sends mana into one of the many gems hanging from the lift's frame, then it starts to go up very smoothly.
We ascend past many floors, and I notice a wide variety of lavish facilities. Chemical labs, training areas, arenas, enchanting workshops, recreation areas, elven-wood crafting shops, and greenhouses. The last seven floors before our final stop are all micro forests or flower gardens, leading me to believe that this is where the "High Circle" lives.
Then we reach the top floor, and the butler shows me through a small but lavish waiting area.
He stops before the only door in sight and opens it for me, then I cross through it without any hesitation and take a look at what awaits me.
Seven old and thin elves are spread around on a circle of grass-sofas, with the only empty one right in front of me. They're wearing fancy, embroidered robes, and I realize that the patterns made with gold all over their clothing are enchantments, combat enchantments. Their staves are resting beside them, and they all, without exception, glow red with large gems held at their tips, and they're so heavily decorated with protruding bits and engravings that they seem more like fantasy anime staves than weapons of war. There are also a dozen armored men standing guard near the walls and around the room, but they're just small fry to me, so I ignore them.
After I enter the room, I stop and look back the way I came, then I wait for a few seconds before taking my seat. They look at me oddly, unsure about the meaning of what I just did, but then the butler walks in and they all glance at him.
After the butler has most likely given them a signal, I notice the subtle hints of the old elves and the soldiers at the wall stiffening, but I act completely casual about it and simply spare them a polite nod, which they return by lowering their heads, yet not bowing.
The man directly ahead of me, the oldest of them all, clears his throat nervously and begins, "We're the High Circle, esteemed Royal Lord Ryder, and my name is…"
I don't spare the effort to remember any of their names since most of them will be dead in a few minutes. They're all near level ninety, but this isn't a standard battle of armies versus armies, so in here, with me so close to them, they're at their most vulnerable.
I simply nod when they're done and begin the verbal battle, "As you all should be aware, your Circle of Magi attacked a caravan from the Este escort company on the twentieth of the tenth month of last year. The caravan was led by Rande Parado and Osaria Parado, former members of the Este family of Crown Lords that previously ruled the Western High Forest. They are also the cousin and aunt of one of my wives, Yulania Ryder, formerly Este. And finally, the rest of my harem and I were present during the attack, defending the caravan as a fellowship going by the name of Helios that was hired by Rande."
I make a dramatic pause, and the leader nods slowly as he stiffly replies, "Yes, your Highness, we remember that grave mistake that one of our captains committed. He was misled by a snake from the Mainland, and though he died by the same snake, his men and supporting officers paid the price for their transgression."
Oh? My, how responsible of them.
I nod in understanding and continue, "That's great to hear, but I'm here to address another matter. It's about the number of Wicked we've found among your men."
The temperature in the room drops a few degrees, and I even see one of the mages pale as he freezes up completely. They know what this means, and there's no way for them to negotiate their way out of this.
"I assure you, my Lord, the traitorous Captain's unit had a much higher concentration of Wicked, and that is why he was so easily fooled by the snake," one of the mages futilely tries to divert my attention.
I shake my head slowly as I give the mage a stern stare, and I see him swallow heavily. "I still need to make sure, and I can personally cast [Detect Evil] on your men," I firmly reply.
The leader clears his throat, asking for my attention, and I turn my stern glare towards him, but he still manages to calmly state, "My Lord, we used to have an agreement with the previous Lord about the number of Wicked…"
I raise an eyebrow. "A verbal one?"
He nods meekly. "Yes…"
"What was it about?"
The leader's expression becomes a bit brighter as he eagerly answers, "We'd provide him with our services in exchange for more freedom to explore and experiment. More specifically, we helped purge the High Forest, something that was very important at the time, and we know that you still haven't gained full control of the dungeons yet."
Their agreement doesn't seem to be nefarious at face value, but Mavel still turned a blind eye to their Wickedness.
And that angers Yunia. There was already very little chance that we'd even consider letting them go, but now, there's absolutely none.
I narrow my eyes in displeasure. "Unfortunately, our family is too close to the Gods for us to allow this many Wicked to remain free."
The mages all look distraught, and the armored soldiers discreetly hover their hands over the handles of their weapons, ready to draw.
"Is there truly no way we can negotiate this? Taking away our men will cripple the Circle," the leader pleads, sounding almost panicked.
I draw on my memories of my draconic cock plunging into my women, Ravaging their pussies, and stretching them wide as I roar in triumph, and a massive boner begins to press hard against the gambeson of my armor.
My voice booms through the room as I fearlessly declare, "The Wicked are a gangrenous wound that needs to be cut out completely. There's nothing you can do to stop this."
As soon as I finish speaking, a thick cage of emellanat snaps shut around me with a loud clang in just a split second.
Well… this isn't exactly unexpected, but we didn't imagine that they'd be this aggressive.
"It's not wise to fight us in our own territory," the leader grumbles angrily, his wrinkly face warped hideously in a very un-elven way.
I simply grin back as I growl, "You forget that the entire Western High Forest is my territory."
I hear the whispering of sand, then I see a sparkly cloud of dust filling my surroundings. They're using Dust of Appearance, so there's no time left to delay it any longer.
The girls give the signal, and the purge begins.
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Today is the 23rd. Ne, day of Water, an advantageous day for this Operation.
Alissa wakes me up, and since we don't have enough time for everyone to get their wake-up snack, she shares it equally with Hana, Aoi, and Osaria.
It's still dark as we eat breakfast, so our view is of the white sea of mist surrounding our castle with dark clouds covering the sky. A bit gloomy for my taste, but the last hours before sunrise are known to almost always bring rain, so this isn't uncommon.
We aren't in a very talkative mood, but at least there's still a bit of levity to our demeanor as we slowly clear the sleepiness away, allowing us to focus on the now.
We're quite comfortable with what's to come, but Osaria seems a bit worried, making me wish that I could use [Bind] on her to soothe her mind.
I use one of my human hands to play with Alissa's fluffy ears as she lazily wags her tail, and I also use our connection to feel what she's feeling from it. It's so good that I get a bit impressed with myself.
Damn, I'm good at [Massage].
There's something about her animal parts that enhances my caresses so much that none of the other wives feel nearly as good as Alissa does when I play with her.
There's something about my horns, too, that make them sensitive to pressure-based massages. I guess our animal/dragon parts are specifically suited to being touched.
Klein also seems a bit tense, so I extend a tail-like tentacle under the table and wrap it around her long brown appendage. She doesn't even jump in surprise and simply smiles shyly.
Since the caressing has now begun, I create multiple tail-like tentacles and caress everyone under the table, Gify included.
"Stay safe, my love," Osaria anxiously gives me her blessing, then gently kisses my lips.
"I will," I reassure her and caress her dark cheek with my claws.
She nods slowly and breathes deeply to calm herself, then she goes to Klein and gives her a kiss.
Osaria really is stealing Klein from me.
Then I give a kiss to Poosh, too. She isn't anxious like my dark-skinned milf since she has some sort of blind faith in us, so she mirrors our demeanor and steels her nerves, showing how much she cares by giving me a quick hug that smothers me in her breasts and fluffy fur.
"I'll be waiting for your return, your Highness," she whispers, and I just nod back.
Mimi, the twins, and the Grosshils also give us their blessing. Hana's sister gives her a tight hug, then she gives me a gentle nod. "Strike true, Lord Wolf," she whispers warmly.
"You really are Hana's sister," I remark with a smirk.
"What…?" She mumbles as she blinks blankly.
I chuckle softly. "You basically said 'hit them hard.'"
"She's got dragonkin blood in her. Of course, she'd say something like that," Hana affirms while nodding.
Mimi's jaw starts to move wordlessly as she struggles to contain her emotions for a brief moment, then she recomposes herself, putting her stern expression back on, but there's still a bit of heat in her tone as she replies, "I said strike 'true,' not 'hard,' as it implies the careful and precise application of violence, not brute force."
Hana grins as she returns the perfect riposte to that, "Osaria wished for him to remain safe and Poosh affirmed that she believes he'll come back in one piece while you simply told him to be violent."
And Mimi glares at her sister annoyedly. "I certainly can't give him the same blessing as two women who have a very intimate relationship with him, now can I?"
"You certainly can." And Hana raises her eyebrows suggestively.
The tall beauty presses her lips against each other in growing frustration and intensifies her glare. "Why are you-… no, never mind, I don't want to hear the answer." She sheathes her anger and shakes her head in disbelief.
Then we finally leave the castle through a [Gate].
Our army gathers in the wilderness of the High Forest, in an area so far from civilization that there are barely any glowing plants around, so the camp is illuminated by faint purple lights to match the environment's and not stand out like a lighthouse in the darkness.
Once we're inside the command tent, though, the lighting is back to normal, so we don't have to strain our eyes to walk around.
The occupants of the tent stand up and bow, except for Teresina, who simply nods, then everyone takes their seats, and since we're the last to arrive, the meeting starts immediately.
Sandoro clears his throat and gives us all a summary, "We're all gathered here to carry out Operation Extinguisher, the goal of which is to wipe out the Wicked circle of magi known as Dawn of Fire. It's known that the number of Wicked among their men exceeds twenty percent, so a purge of their numbers is beyond overdue. The fact that they even attacked Este company's trading caravan, which is owned by Lord Yulania's cousin and aunt, and was also protected by the Royal Ryder Lords, at the time operating as a fellowship under the name of Helios, is evidence that their leadership is thoroughly corrupt and unworthy to yield the power that they hold. Therefore, their sentence is complete annihilation."
Then we all turn our gazes towards Teresina and the three Templar captains of the Punishers that she brought with her.
"We've reviewed the evidence, and we agree with your judgment," she coolly replies, a sadistic smile gracing her elegant lips.
"Excellent," Sandoro softly replies and mirrors her expression.
Then we divide up our men for each objective.
The harem will attack Dawn of Fire's main base, and we'll be supported by Sandoro and Silvano, each of them leading a part of the Companions, with Azador and a few other knights acting as squad leaders. The second base will be attacked by Alcander and Almaria leading the normal Lordsguard, with Palo and a few knights acting as squad leaders, bringing Sai as a backup leader for the group since her officer training isn't complete yet.
Sandoro stalked the convoys leaving the first base and discovered a third base in Glorampina, but we don't have full authority to attack it since it isn't in our territory, so we'll send Enomosa, Klein, and Anton to lock the place down until we can go there personally and end things.
Our military ships will act as ranged support for the attack on the bases inside the High Forest, just in case we can't crack their Shells, while our personal cargo ship will act as a defensive position for the group going to Glorampina. The Celestial Horns number thirty, so they'll be split across three equal groups and will support the attack from above.
Each of the three Templar Captains will go to one of the three bases. They're specialized in dealing with circles of magi or mercenary companies, so they have the power to get through any sort of defense that Dawn of Fire might put up. This circle of magi are just Wicked, not heretics, so they shouldn't have any mysterious powers like that one dude in the Misty Low Forest that turned half a building into dust in a mere second.
Before we split up, Alissa and I approach Klein to check on how she's doing.
"You alright?" I kindly ask her, and we each grab one of the monkey girl's hands. They feel a bit cold, and I sense a slight shaking running through them, possibly due to the tension and rising adrenaline in her blood, but Klein simply nods with confidence.
"Think you're ready for this?" Alissa adds softly as she squeezes Klein's hand reassuringly.
The cute monkey smiles gently and sways her body from side to side, mimicking the movement of her tail, which is currently hidden within her Camalo armor. "I'm confident that I can handle this. I've killed plenty of bandits and monsters, and even witnessed Rande negotiate with raiders, though I've never taken part in an attack on a base like this," she calmly confesses.
Alissa and I kiss her hands lovingly and release her with a nod. She isn't frail enough to need my continued encouragement, so we let her be since I think that coddling would just make her angry.
Then I rejoin my harem and notice that Hana is socializing quite cheerfully with Caterina, the Templar Captain, a woman who looks to be in her forties and also carries a striking resemblance to Teresina.
Caterina nods, her long ears bobbing softly with the motion, and calmly explains, "Mother has been quite excited about this Operation. Don't let her demeanor fool you, she's quite the enthusiastic woman, but she has a reputation to maintain."
You mean, "enthusiastic" about purging the Wicked, right?
"Don't we all? But at least I chose a reputation that aligns with my personality," Hana replies with a shrug.
"Oh, my, do you have any more secrets about your mother that you could share with us?" I ask with a sly grin.
The Captain turns her beautiful, stony face towards me and dryly replies, "She told me to be careful around you."
I almost choke on my spit from shock. "I don't think I'm someone who should be feared," I stiffly reply.
She narrows her eyes and graces her gorgeous face with the characteristic elven smugness. "For a non-elf, your seductive power is too strong to be ignored by the average commoner."
"I never involve myself with those who might regret receiving what I can give them," I state matter-of-factly.
And she gently nods. "That's why you're dangerous. Not everyone knows the difference between what they want and what's right for them."
I shrug. "Such is life."
"And to err is in our nature," Ciel kindly takes my side.
Caterina smiles subtly, and I sense a bit of slyness to her tone as she replies, "Sure, but I'm not someone who enjoys men that much, so you're dangerous to me."
And I suddenly become suspicious. "Why would Teresina warn you about that?"
"She's my mother."
"Oh~…" I hum in understanding, and we both smirk at each other, but it's Hana who seems the most satisfied with this conversation.
"The men are ready," a Lordsguard reports, instantly ceasing our growing levity.
We share a look and nod, then we all start pouring into the [Gate]s in front of us.
I fly through the dark and purple forest with my armor's enchantment and just a single [Spirit Light] illuminating the way forward. The light rain that drips down through the crowns of the High Trees is immediately redirected away by my [Wind Armor], so I'm completely dry and warm as I rush through the endless darkness.
I have five points in [Sense Presence], and I end up detecting a sentry as they briefly enter my inner detection range, which is close enough to bypass their [Hide Presence]. This means that unless they're being very lax with scouting, I've already flown past a few other sentries that have likely sent word of my approach to the base.
When I reach the marked High Tree, I don't notice any obvious details that would confirm that this is their base, but by using triangulation through the fellowship bond, I know for certain that this is the exact spot that was mentioned in Cereleia's "radar." The only thing that stands out is that this tree is perfectly solid and significantly wider than the average High Tree.
We know that this is one of their fortresses thanks to a spy that we interrogated and killed after their attack on Rande's caravan; we know what they have prepared for us inside from the information that Vanea extracted from Darean; and we know their current numbers because we've been observing the flow of people through Cereleia's radar. There's nothing we need to be afraid of.
I stop right in front of the ginormous tree, still floating in place, and look up, then I make a stern expression and announce my arrival, "Dawn of Fire, I'm Royal Crown Lord Wolf Ryder, and I demand an audience with your leaders. If you don't open this tree, I'll make an entrance in it myself!"
Almost immediately, the tree starts to shift, and the knots from the pattern on its bark start to unravel.
The uncountable branches that make a High Tree line up, protruding outwards from it, and form into a rather wide, circular tunnel for me. On the other side, I can see a well-illuminated room made of grainy wood with a white grass-carpet leading towards a butler-like golden elf that is waiting for me in front of a pair of large double doors.
I step in, my pristine boots leaving no marks on the carpet, and approach the butler.
"Royal Lord Ryder, I'm Sebastion, and I shall guide you to the High Circle," the man softly states, then bows at a right angle.
"Lead on," I coolly reply, and the double doors open in absolute silence.
We cross through the double doors, and I'm immediately assaulted by the characteristic feeling of having my [Gate] blocked, which would normally make me quite worried, but this time, it means that they're all locked in here with me.
We enter a hall of statues, because of course the elves would have statues, and they're all decorated with red gems and illusory enchantments that create scintillating flames, sparkly mini-stars, or other fire-related effects. Not even we or the Elder Council are this ostentatious, so we can add "pride" to the list of sins the Dawn of Fire has committed.
In the center of the hall, there's a vine-frame elevator with a glass floor. As we enter it, I put on a little act of theatrics to make myself look suspicious.
I shuffle awkwardly, as if I were giving way for someone to board, then I stand quite close to the butler, close enough to smell his flowery perfume, and use my body to keep him in the corner of the lift.
He glances worriedly at me twice but doesn't comment on it, and I notice that he's now become a bit stiffer than before.
He sends mana into one of the many gems hanging from the lift's frame, then it starts to go up very smoothly.
We ascend past many floors, and I notice a wide variety of lavish facilities. Chemical labs, training areas, arenas, enchanting workshops, recreation areas, elven-wood crafting shops, and greenhouses. The last seven floors before our final stop are all micro forests or flower gardens, leading me to believe that this is where the "High Circle" lives.
Then we reach the top floor, and the butler shows me through a small but lavish waiting area.
He stops before the only door in sight and opens it for me, then I cross through it without any hesitation and take a look at what awaits me.
Seven old and thin elves are spread around on a circle of grass-sofas, with the only empty one right in front of me. They're wearing fancy, embroidered robes, and I realize that the patterns made with gold all over their clothing are enchantments, combat enchantments. Their staves are resting beside them, and they all, without exception, glow red with large gems held at their tips, and they're so heavily decorated with protruding bits and engravings that they seem more like fantasy anime staves than weapons of war. There are also a dozen armored men standing guard near the walls and around the room, but they're just small fry to me, so I ignore them.
After I enter the room, I stop and look back the way I came, then I wait for a few seconds before taking my seat. They look at me oddly, unsure about the meaning of what I just did, but then the butler walks in and they all glance at him.
After the butler has most likely given them a signal, I notice the subtle hints of the old elves and the soldiers at the wall stiffening, but I act completely casual about it and simply spare them a polite nod, which they return by lowering their heads, yet not bowing.
The man directly ahead of me, the oldest of them all, clears his throat nervously and begins, "We're the High Circle, esteemed Royal Lord Ryder, and my name is…"
I don't spare the effort to remember any of their names since most of them will be dead in a few minutes. They're all near level ninety, but this isn't a standard battle of armies versus armies, so in here, with me so close to them, they're at their most vulnerable.
I simply nod when they're done and begin the verbal battle, "As you all should be aware, your Circle of Magi attacked a caravan from the Este escort company on the twentieth of the tenth month of last year. The caravan was led by Rande Parado and Osaria Parado, former members of the Este family of Crown Lords that previously ruled the Western High Forest. They are also the cousin and aunt of one of my wives, Yulania Ryder, formerly Este. And finally, the rest of my harem and I were present during the attack, defending the caravan as a fellowship going by the name of Helios that was hired by Rande."
I make a dramatic pause, and the leader nods slowly as he stiffly replies, "Yes, your Highness, we remember that grave mistake that one of our captains committed. He was misled by a snake from the Mainland, and though he died by the same snake, his men and supporting officers paid the price for their transgression."
Oh? My, how responsible of them.
I nod in understanding and continue, "That's great to hear, but I'm here to address another matter. It's about the number of Wicked we've found among your men."
The temperature in the room drops a few degrees, and I even see one of the mages pale as he freezes up completely. They know what this means, and there's no way for them to negotiate their way out of this.
"I assure you, my Lord, the traitorous Captain's unit had a much higher concentration of Wicked, and that is why he was so easily fooled by the snake," one of the mages futilely tries to divert my attention.
I shake my head slowly as I give the mage a stern stare, and I see him swallow heavily. "I still need to make sure, and I can personally cast [Detect Evil] on your men," I firmly reply.
The leader clears his throat, asking for my attention, and I turn my stern glare towards him, but he still manages to calmly state, "My Lord, we used to have an agreement with the previous Lord about the number of Wicked…"
I raise an eyebrow. "A verbal one?"
He nods meekly. "Yes…"
"What was it about?"
The leader's expression becomes a bit brighter as he eagerly answers, "We'd provide him with our services in exchange for more freedom to explore and experiment. More specifically, we helped purge the High Forest, something that was very important at the time, and we know that you still haven't gained full control of the dungeons yet."
Their agreement doesn't seem to be nefarious at face value, but Mavel still turned a blind eye to their Wickedness.
And that angers Yunia. There was already very little chance that we'd even consider letting them go, but now, there's absolutely none.
I narrow my eyes in displeasure. "Unfortunately, our family is too close to the Gods for us to allow this many Wicked to remain free."
The mages all look distraught, and the armored soldiers discreetly hover their hands over the handles of their weapons, ready to draw.
"Is there truly no way we can negotiate this? Taking away our men will cripple the Circle," the leader pleads, sounding almost panicked.
I draw on my memories of my draconic cock plunging into my women, Ravaging their pussies, and stretching them wide as I roar in triumph, and a massive boner begins to press hard against the gambeson of my armor.
My voice booms through the room as I fearlessly declare, "The Wicked are a gangrenous wound that needs to be cut out completely. There's nothing you can do to stop this."
As soon as I finish speaking, a thick cage of emellanat snaps shut around me with a loud clang in just a split second.
Well… this isn't exactly unexpected, but we didn't imagine that they'd be this aggressive.
"It's not wise to fight us in our own territory," the leader grumbles angrily, his wrinkly face warped hideously in a very un-elven way.
I simply grin back as I growl, "You forget that the entire Western High Forest is my territory."
I hear the whispering of sand, then I see a sparkly cloud of dust filling my surroundings. They're using Dust of Appearance, so there's no time left to delay it any longer.
The girls give the signal, and the purge begins.
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